Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-11-27
WOMEN vs.. W0AEN.
An Answsr to the Oharse that Woman is
wcmaE's Worst Enemy.

following thoughtful article:
The statement that women are severer
upon the faults of their own sex than men
are, is all very well as far as it goes.
Bat it Is only hslf truth, and
like all other hall truths, misleeds
rather from what 1t omits or suppresses
than from what it actually prefers. Sup
plying the omission, it should read thus:
"Other things being equal, women are
less generous to the faults CT their own
sex than men are; vice versa, men are
less generous TO the faults Of their own
sex than women are;" all of which Is
only another way Of saying that the law
of repuIsion between similars, and of at
traction between oissimilars-or, es
science calls it, The law Of opposites,
which prevails throughout nature-ani-
mate and nanimage-obtains also among
humsI beings. Bat in the complicated
conditions Of society where things
are Iever equal, but exceedingly
unequal, where the intelligence and
the reason largely dominate the animal
instincts, where a great variety OF cOu-
trolling Influences are continually disturb
ing the nOrmsl relations OF men and
women In society, this law of the sexes is
of little practical interest, save as account
ing for some seemingly anomalous phases
of human character.
It would be interesting, and perhaps
instructive, 30 show that UGH Of the dis
c9SSion on vital questions Of the hour II
yiliated, and SO made comparatively
worthless by the subtle influence of this
all pervading laW-tnat men and women
equally sincere and equally earnest in the
pursuit OF the truth are kept apart solely
by their G fferent points of observation
Of the same fact But &n a6eq uaie treat
ment would transcend the limits Of tie
preeent paper, even If it were entirely
relevant, which it is not.
The statement in question taken as q
psychological fact more OF less imperfect
ly put, need convey no reproach If none
were intended. But the sting OF it-thet
which brings the hot blood of Indignation
to the cheekof every honorable woman
whenever and wherever she hears it
uttered-is the underlying imputation OF
nsrrowness of bigotry, Of all ancharita
bleness as evinced in the treatment of her
sisters whom she does know. How then
can she even aspire TO those loftier heights
of judicial dignity and honor which over
look the nations which she does net
know!
II will serve oar present purpose tC
consider the offaCses agsinst society III
der two heads. First, those that affect
all classes equsliE, aud secondly, those
that bear upO0 different classes une qualiy.
OF the first class, theft aud homicide sre
conspicuous examples. They are,
for the most part, single
handed attacks upon the life and
property of the individual, the most di-
rec thy suhversIEe of the purpose for
which governments are instituted, and
for this reason the simplest and most
easily deal with. InasmuCh as women
thieves Snd woHeu murderers have El-
ways been disposed Of under q strictly
masculine regime, it goes without saying
that these are not the Of
lenses which come under the
special censorship of her own sex
Ii is the second class CT ofeL ses-tkoSe
that bear heavily upon the one class and
lightly upon the Other-that elicit con-
domination from one part OF the commu-
nifty aud evoke sympathy from another
part, which constitute the chief problem
OF modern Jurisprudence and furnish food
for the m9ralist, einCe the cry OF protest
against any particular evil is sure to
emapete from that class who, either IN
reality or imagination, suffer from It's eI
istence. ObviJGsly the ofTenses which
il women most heartily condemn will be
those from which they suffer the deep
est injury. AS G rule the vices
of one sex initiate against the
power and happiness OF the other.
This is especially the case with the
minor ones. From time immemorial in
ne absence of more exie+ns matter,
womab's follies have ben tse faVorije
theme of both pulpit and press, for the
obvious reason that men are the victims
of those fOllies.
Her idleness, her self hness, her du
pliciiy in small matters effend his moral
sense. Her love Of dress, her eXtravs
gauce prey upon his purse. Her high
0sts obstru0t MS, view at the opera,
Her lack of house keeping qualities, hrr
neglect of her children imperl the COM
fort and happiness Of his family, and so
on indefinitely. The masculine vices
which disturb the peace of women readily
come to mind. The inordinste use OF
tobacco, intOXicants, the spendthrift kab
it's Of the gaming table and the club
are some of them.
There is one crime and only one in the
entire catalogue OF sins, grave or other
wise, with which women are charge able,
that Is responsible for the attitude of
women towards her own sex. l need
hardly say it is the crime of unchsstity.
The unchaste woman is the foe
of ell w0msnhood. Her shadow on
the threshold sends q thrill OF terror
TO the heart of every true wife and mother
tor the safety OF her most cherished idols,
namely, the honor of husband and sons
The sisterly sympathy which the
spectacle of human degradation under
other circumstances might elicit IS choked
out by this all absorbing terror. The an
fairness of selecting this as the type of
the relation which exists between woman
and woman is the more manifest when,
as 5t fore sisted, it can be shown under
similar cIrcums ances men act 10 just the
same way. Fer example, the smooth Lo
thario, who with evil intent invades the
domestic freside where wife and daugh
tiers reign supreme, meets with no
gentle rece ption from husband. father,
or brother. His presence Is the signal
for such an outbreak of passion as out
HeTods all the animOsitieS between men.
And yet man is not the enemy OF man,
out his best and truest friend, as woman
is Of woman.
There is an abundance of testimony, If
testimony were still wanting, to prove
that women are not the enemies, but the
natural guardians of their more uDfortu-
nate sisters. Until recently sll our pub